The users on your system are the engine propelling your business forward. Nothing happens without them. But they’re also a considerable threat to IT security.

On most systems, nearly every user has access to data beyond his or her demonstrated need. Restricting access rights can be tedious and there’s a valid concern that limiting user authorities will make it difficult or impossible for users to do their jobs.

A malicious user could corrupt or steal customer lists or financial data

If a hacker gains access to a user profile, all the data and applications accessible to that user are at risk

These are the reasons security experts recommend following the rule of least privileges, which gives users access only to data they have a demonstrable business purpose for accessing.

"Establishing security processes is an evolving, long-term balancing act. What we don’t want to do is make something so secure that our employees can no longer do their jobs. Authority Broker has given us the power to grant a specific authority level for a specific job at a specific time, which was exactly what we were looking to do."

Assistant Vice President and Computer Operations Manager

Bank of Stockton

Strategies for Giving Users Just Enough Access

Excessive user privileges pose a security risk, but there are many situations where users legitimately need elevated privileges to do their jobs. So how can you secure your system without handcuffing your users?

Use a program that administers authority swaps. An authority swap lets a user temporarily swap into a profile with elevated privileges. You define which users can swap into elevated profiles, when they can swap, and what they can access during the swap. At the end of the swap, the user returns to his or her original authority level. This is an effective way to enforce segregation of duties and to meet regulator mandates, which typically require you to limit the number of users who can access, change, or delete sensitive data.